EPIK: FAQs

Q. Who’s who and what do they do?

South Korea’s Ministry of Education is your employer.

EPIK or English Program in Korea is a supervisory body within the Ministry that is in charge of English education of public schools across the country.

MeetTutors.com is a exclusive local recruiter of the Ministry of Education. We recruit ESL teachers from 7 English-speaking countries and guide them throughout the application process.

Korean Embassy or Consulate then takes over the process and issues E-2 visa (work visa) to legalize your employment with the Ministry.

POE or Provincial Office of Education is a School District on a provincial level. POE will be your immediate supervisor while working in Korea.

We work as a team to make the whole process efficient, convenient and friendly.


Q. I am NOT a citizen of the seven English-speaking countries - US, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. However, I grew up and obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in one of the listed countries. Am I eligible to apply for the position?

A. This is a tricky situation, but the answer is NO. In order to make sure that public school ESL teachers are native speakers of English, South Korea’ Immigrations Office requires public school ESL teachers to be citizens of the seven English-speaking countries, and issues E-2 visa (work visa) only to those who meet the minimum requirement. Although we may appreciate your qualification, the Immigrations Office won’t issue a visa.


Q. Do I need a passport to apply for this position?

A. Yes. However, if you don’t have a passport at the time of applying for the position, apply first and get your passport ready. You need a passport to apply for a work (E2) visa.


Q. Are there any tips for filling in the application?

A. See the application guideline.


Q. In the application form, there is a list of documents that are required to submit. Should I need to submit them all at once?

A. NO. When you apply, you only need to submit 1) the application form and 2) a scanned copy of passport's photo page. If your application passes the first screening by the Ministry, we arrange a telephone interview for you. If you pass the interview, the Ministry will ask you to send the rest.


Q. I'm waiting for my University to produce some transcripts. Are these then sent to Korea? Or the Korean Embassy? Likewise, I assume that you want the original copy of my degree. I'm a bit confused as to how this works.

Transcript : When you order the transcripts, order two. One should be sent directly to the Ministry from the institution you graduated from and the other should be mailed to you. You need to bring a transcript when you visit the Korean Consulate/Embassy to get a work (E2) visa later.
Degree : As for the degree, you only need to send a copy of your degree. However, you need to bring the original copy when you visit to the Korean Consulate/Embassy to get a work visa.


Q. I've never been asked for these before. Is there a standard form to use? Although I understand the need to check police records before allowing someone to work in a public school, the checks are usually carried out by the prospective employer. How does an applicant acquire a criminal record check?

A. This is something that you should inquire locally. The Ministry requires a criminal record check to be submitted by applicants, because they, as a foreign employer, do not have access to do the check.


Q. With regard to accommodations, how close or far is it from the actual school that I would be teaching at?

A. It is normally a walking distance between the school and accommodation.


Q. Beside the accommodation, are the utilities included? If not, is the price of electricity and water expensive in Korea?

A. The housing is included in the contract, but the utilities are not. However, the price of electricity, hydro and water is cheaper than that of Canada or the US.


Q. Is internet usually available at the school? And is it quite easy to have a phone hooked up so I can have internet access in my apartment?

A. Yes and Yes. Korea is a nation of the Internet, probably No. 1 in the world in terms of the Internet connectivity. The Internet service costs around $25-30/month. Your coordinator will arrange this for you.


Q. What does the academic calendar look like in Korea compared to that of North America?

March - July : 1st semester (A new school year begins.)
Late July - Late August : Summer vacation
September - December : 2nd semester
Late December - Early Feb : Winter vacation


Q. How many national holidays are there in 2008?

A. Beside the national ones, there would be some more extra days like Pro-D days, exam days, etc.

1.1 New Year’s Day
2.6-8 Lunar New Year’s Day
3.1 National Independence Movement Day
5.5 Children’s Day
5.12 Buddha's Day
6.6 Remembrance Day
7.17 Constitutional Day
8.15 National Independence Day
9.13-15 Thanksgiving Holidays
10.3 National Foundation Day
12.25 Christmas


Q. When should I arrive at Korea by?

A. You should arrive 10 days before the start date to attend an orientation.